Strawberry and Cream Crepes

Here is a delicious recipe that works great for breakfast or dessert.

• Crepes
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Filling
• 1 cup of chopped strawberries
• 1 tsp of granulated sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar

1. For the filling mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar
2. Cut the strawberries into small pieces and shake with sugar or pulse them in a food processor with a tsp of sugar
3. Mix the cream cheese and strawberries together and set aside (the mixture should be thick and creamy)
4. For the crepes, mix all ingredients until it is well mixed, the mixture will be thin (The ingredients are best mixed in a blender)
5. In a heated / lightly oiled frying pan, cook the crepes one by one
6. Pour about a 1/4 cup of the crepe mixture into the pan and swirl around until the mixture is a thin round circle.  If there are holes in the crepe, fill them with a little batter
7. Cook about a minute or so and then check it to see if can be flipped.  The edges should be starting to pull away from the pan. Because the mixture is so thin, they cook very quickly.
8. The second side should only take about 30 seconds
9. Once the crepe is done set aside and start another one
10. Fill each crepe with a few tbsps of the strawberry/cream cheese mixture and fold each side over to make it look like a roll
11. Serve with the seam down and ENJOY!

Amaretto Bread Pudding

One night we had a dinner party but forgot dessert so we took what we could find and made this amazing dessert.

• 1 loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, ends removed
• 2 tbsp of butter, melted
• 4 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 2 cups of skim milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp amaretto
• 1/4 cup amaretto

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Line bread on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 mins on each side until lightly toasted
3. Beat eggs with skim milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and 1 tbsp of amaretto
4. After bread is done, break up into small chunks and put in a 8 in greased baking dish
5. Reduce oven to 350 degrees
6. Drizzle bread chunks with butter and a 1/4 cup amaretto and mix until well coated
7. Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread, making sure each piece of bread is soaked
8. Let sit 5 minutes and then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
9. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping
10. Enjoy!

Dreamsicle Pudding

Here is a recipe that is absolutely amazing.  It tastes just like a dreamsicle popsicle.  Take this recipe to a potluck for an instant hit but make sure to bring copies of the recipe.  Every time I take this anywhere, I am bombarded with requests for the recipe.  It is delicious and easy to make.

• 3 oz box of cooked vanilla pudding (do NOT buy the instant pudding, it does not work)
• 3 oz box orange jello
• 3 oz box of cooked tapioca pudding (do NOT buy the instant pudding, it does not work)
• 11 oz can of mandarin oranges
• 12 oz cool whip
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 cups milk

1. Cook together in a sauce pan on medium heat the orange juice, milk, orange jello mix, and both pudding mixes
2. Cook until the mixture is thick
3. Pour into a mixing bowl and refrigerate at least 1 1/2 hours
4. Mix in cool whip and mandarin oranges and ENJOY!

Tip: I like to make cooked mixture the night before and then mix in the oranges and cool whip before taking to a party or serving at home

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

These brownies are amazing and festive for the holidays! I took a basic homemade brownie recipe and added a twist of dark chocolate, white chocolate, and candy canes. You can make this recipe without the candy canes for a Triple Chocolate treat! These were a huge hit at my office for a birthday celebration. Take them to a Holiday party, they will be a big hit! 

• 1 cup butter, melted 
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar 
• 1 tbsp vanilla 
• 4 eggs 
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 
• 2 candy canes, crushed into small pieces 

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees 
2. Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla until well blended 
3. Add eggs and mix well 
4. Mix together flour, cocoa powder and salt and then mix with the butter/sugar mixture 
5. Fold in chocolate chips and candy canes pieces 
6. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan for 40 minutes 
7. Let cool on a wire rack 
8. Serve and enjoy! 

Candy Bark

One of my holiday favorites is Peppermint Bark.  Candy bark is easy and fun to make and you can make your own flavor varieties.

My peppermint bark:

• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1 bag of white chocolate chips
• 2 candy canes, broken up into small pieces
• Parchment

1. Melt on a double boiler the milk chocolate and pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
2. Melt the white chocolate on the double boiler and pour over the milk chocolate
3. Swirl the 2 chocolates together on the top layer
4. Sprinkle broken candy cane pieces over the chocolate
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
6. When chocolate is solid, break up into smaller pieces and enjoy.
7. This makes a great homemade present too!

Other candy bark varieties:

• Chocolate and peanut butter with cookie crumbles
• Dark and white chocolate peppermint
• Fruit and nut - top chocolate with your favorite nuts and dried fruit
• Confetti bark - top with your favorite holiday sprinkles (the kids love it!)
• Smores bark - top milk chocolate with graham cracker crumbles and mini marshmallows

Homemade Spiked Hot Cocoa

Here is a delicious recipe my husband came up with for a spiked hot cocoa. You can make this minus the alcohol for the kiddies!

Servings: 4

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder 
• 3/4 sugar 
• pinch of salt 
• 1/3 cup water 
• 4 cups milk 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 
• Dash of nutmeg 
• 1 shot of rum 
• 1/4 cup Bailey's 

1. Make a chocolate sauce by mixing the cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and water and bring to a boil for a few minutes, but make sure not to burn it 
2. Add in milk, rum, Bailey's, and vanilla and bring liquid to a hot temperature without boiling it 
3. Serve and Enjoy! 
4. This cocoa is delicious topped with homemade whipped cream! 

Homemade Whipped Cream:

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

1. Beat heavy whipping cream with an electric whisk until it starts to thicken
2. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and continuing whipping until soft peaks form

Apple Cider Crisp

Here is a simple and delicious Apple Crisp recipe.

• 4 apples
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup oats
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 pkg of apple cider mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Peel and cut up apples in to small chunks
3. Coat apples with cinnamon and honey and set in greased 8x8 square dish
4. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, and apple cider mix and mix well
5. Mix butter and flour/oat mixture and spread over the top of the apples
6. Bake for 30 minutes
7. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping and enjoy!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 of 3.4 oz pkg of vanilla pudding
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup strawberry syrup

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees
2. Mix flour and baking powder and set aside
3. Blend sugar, butter and pudding mix until well mixed and add eggs and vanilla until eggs are mixed into batter
4. Then slowly add flour mixture a little at a time and mix well.
5. Stir in milk and strawberry syrup and beat batter for about 1 minute until mixture is a light pink.
6. You can add a little food coloring if you would like bright pink cupcakes
7. Line or grease a muffin pan and fill cupcakes
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cake is done

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
• 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
• 1/4 cup milk

1. Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth and then beat in marshmallow fluff
2. Mix in powdered sugar a little at time, tasting it so it is not too sweet 
3. Mix in cocoa powder until it is a rich brown color
4. Add milk to thin the mixture out a little
5. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes or until ready to use and use to top cupcakes after they have cooled

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Here is another Fall Favorite: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins.  This recipe makes about 1 1/2 dozen muffins

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 of a 3/4 oz pkg of vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cranberry/orange juice mix
• 5 handfuls of fresh cranberries about 2 cups

1. Mix sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, and juice until well blended.
2. Add to mixture vanilla pudding mix and let sit about a minute or two while you mix the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, all spice, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Add dry mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix until well blended.
4. Fold in cranberries
5. Grease or line muffin tins and fill cups about 3/4 full
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
7. Cool and enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Crisp

I love the Fall because of cranberries!!!!  Here is an awesome twist to Apple Crisp:

• 4 apples (I use Fuji or Gala)
• 2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 2/3 cup softened butter
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

1. Peel and cut apples into small chunks, about 1/2 in by 1/2 in and mix with cranberries in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add white sugar to fruit and set aside
3. For topping, mix brown sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon and then cut in softened butter until crumbly and well mixed
4. In greased 9 x 13 pan, add fruit mixture and then topping
5. Bake a 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!  ENJOY!

Lemon Bars

I love to bake a special birthday treat for all my co-workers on their birthday. This recipe has become an office favorite that I have made many times:

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups flour 
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar 
• 3/4 cup butter melted 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla 

1. Mix flour and sugar together until well blended 
2. Add butter and vanilla and mix 
3. Press into greased 9 x 13 pan, I use olive oil 
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes until the edges start to get a little brown 

Topping:

• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• 6 eggs 
• 4-5 lemons 
• Lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest 
• 1/3 cup flour 

1. While crust is baking mix sugar and flour until well blended 
2. Crack all eggs into the sugar/flour mixture and mix until well blended 
3. Zest lemon into mixture 
4. Juice all lemons, should be about a 1/2 cup (If all lemons do not juice a 1/2 cup and I am out of lemons, I will add lemon juice so that it is a 1/2 cup) I also like to roll my lemons on the counter before I cut them to loosen the juice, it makes it easier. 
5. Pour lemon juice in mixture and whisk until bubbly 
6. After crust is finished, pour lemon mixture over the top and bake for 20 minutes until the top is lightly browned 
7. Cool on wire rack and serve. Some people like powdered sugar on the top but I think they are sweet enough! 

ENJOY!!!